Underworld
Underworld are a British electronic group formed in 1986 in Romford, Essex,… Read Full Bio ↴Underworld are a British electronic group formed in 1986 in Romford, Essex, England, by Karl Hyde (vocals, guitar, production) and Rick Smith (keyboards, production). DJ Darren Price (keyboards, production) accompanied the two in live performances between 2005-2016. They are best known for their unique mix of techno, trance, dance, ambient and sometimes drum and bass, the vocal parts performed by Hyde as spoken-word streams of consciousness, and for their outstanding live shows. The band gained worldwide fame with Born Slippy .NUXX from the Trainspotting soundtrack.
Before Underworld, Hyde and Smith started out in 1979 on The Screen Gemz band while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff, where both had been studying. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a new wave synthpop band whose name was a graphic squiggle, later entitled Freur.
In 1986 Hyde and Smith formed Underworld, after disbanding of Freur. They tried a more guitar-oriented funky electropop sound on their two albums released on Sire Records: Underneath the Radar (1987) and Change the Weather (1989). This initial lineup (also called Underworld Mk1) consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, Bryn Burrows, Baz Allen and Pascal Consoli before sinking back into obscurity and disbanding in 1990.
British DJ Darren Emerson hooked up with Hyde and Smith in 1992 and helped them refine their sound into something more sleek and beat-oriented, yet still shot through with tinges of blues, rock and spoken-word streams of consciousness. After several releases on Junior Boy's Own as Lemon Interupt, the trio re-adopted the Underworld name in 1992. Two songs from this era are Rez and Spikee.
In addition to their music, Hyde and Smith are members of Tomato, a graphic design company which has done high-profile work for clients around the world as well as art for all of Underworld's releases. Hyde, along with former Freur keyboardist John Warwicker, has also published two typographic journals, Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (1994) and In The Belly Of Saint Paul (2003).
Their first full-length, dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1994 to rave reviews and is still considered a landmark. It spawned several hit singles (Dark & Long, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic) and was followed a couple years later by the Born Slippy single.
The sophomore album Second Toughest in the Infants was released in 1996. This album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno, house, drum and bass and pop music to spectacular effect. The first track Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love (three parts) is one of the longest songs recorded by Underworld, with a length of over 16 minutes.
In the same year they issued an EP Pearl's Girl, containing various mixes of the song Pearl's Girl and five new tracks (one of them is Cherry Pie, an early version of Rowla). Underworld's much-praised remixography also grew, including Björk, Saint Etienne, Simply Red, Massive Attack and Leftfield.
After licensing out a remix of Born Slippy (entitled Born Slippy .NUXX) for the 1996 cult classic film Trainspotting, Underworld gained instant worldwide fame and found themselves touring the world. Their fame continued to run high into the release of Beaucoup Fish in 1999. Five singles were released: Moaner, Push Upstairs, Jumbo, King of Snake, and Bruce Lee.
Underworld issued a live set and a DVD named Everything, Everything in 2000, after which Emerson left the group to concentrate more on his DJ career. The mellower album A Hundred Days Off followed in 2002. It was promoted by two singles: Two Months Off and Dinosaur Adventure 3D.
In 2003 Underworld released a 2 CD compilation entitled 1992-2002, comprising some of their best songs. Also since 2003 the group has been trickling out new music on their official website www.underworldlive.com via a series of downloadable mp3s dubbed "The Riverrun Project". Each mp3 bundle features 25-or-so-minute of mixed new material, hundreds of photographs and traditional album art.
In 2005 the band issued another live album, Live in Tokyo 25th November 2005, a recording of Underworld's live performance at the Electraglide festival in Tokyo on 25 November 2005. There were apparently only 7000 copies of the album made.
Oblivion with Bells, their fifth studio album was released in October 2007, the first with additional collaboration with Darren Price who joined the band's live setup in 2005. It spawned four singles: Crocodile, Boy, Boy, Boy, Beautiful Burnout, and Ring Road.
On 13 May 2010, Underworld released a new single Scribble (Radio Edit), available for free download on their official site. This single was followed by a new album later that year, called Barking, which is still in the process of releasing singles, beginning with the aforementioned Scribble, Always Loved a Film and finally Diamond Jigsaw. Also released on a beatport remix contest was Bird 1 where amateur producers were able to put their take on Underworld's collaboration with Dubfire. As of 2011, the duo can also attach to their resumes soundtracking a live stage play. Frankenstein, produced and directed by Danny Boyle, starring both Johnny Lee Miller & Benedict Cumberbatch who are, on alternating nights, both Frankenstein, or the Creature. The Soundtrack is available through Underworld's Website.
January 2016 saw the release of I Exhale, in advance of Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, released in March 2016.
In April 2018, Underworld released a standalone single, Brilliant Yes That Would Be, an ambient piece with its accompanying video inspired by the Icelandic landscape and their first performance in Reykjavík since 1994.
In May 2018, Underworld unveiled the World of Underworld project, which focuses on reflecting and re-imagining their nearly 30 year body of work. It also serves as an outlet for experimentation, new releases and spontaneous creativity. Brilliant Yes That Would Be was the first track to be released through the World of Underworld, which was recorded and mixed just days before it was released.
Later in that same month, Underworld debuted a new collaboration with Iggy Pop titled Bells & Circles, live at the BBC Biggest Weekend 2018. Shortly after, a four-track collaborative EP with the two artists was released, Teatime Dub Encounters.
On November 1st, 2018, Underworld announced the Drift project, an ongoing music-and-video experiment that publishes new Underworld material on their official website every week. The first instalment began with Another Silent Way, also released on the same day.
On November 1st, 2019, Underworld released Drift Series 1, their tenth studio album. It is the conclusion of the first year of the band's year-long music-and-video experiment Drift. Underworld announced the Drift project will continue on for another year. The now-renamed Drift Series 1, was released exactly one year after the launch of the series, as a box set featuring 7 CDs, a Blu-ray, and an 80-page book documenting the creative process around Drift. A single-disc Drift Series 1 Sampler Edition was also released simultaneously.
Before Underworld, Hyde and Smith started out in 1979 on The Screen Gemz band while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff, where both had been studying. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a new wave synthpop band whose name was a graphic squiggle, later entitled Freur.
In 1986 Hyde and Smith formed Underworld, after disbanding of Freur. They tried a more guitar-oriented funky electropop sound on their two albums released on Sire Records: Underneath the Radar (1987) and Change the Weather (1989). This initial lineup (also called Underworld Mk1) consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, Bryn Burrows, Baz Allen and Pascal Consoli before sinking back into obscurity and disbanding in 1990.
British DJ Darren Emerson hooked up with Hyde and Smith in 1992 and helped them refine their sound into something more sleek and beat-oriented, yet still shot through with tinges of blues, rock and spoken-word streams of consciousness. After several releases on Junior Boy's Own as Lemon Interupt, the trio re-adopted the Underworld name in 1992. Two songs from this era are Rez and Spikee.
In addition to their music, Hyde and Smith are members of Tomato, a graphic design company which has done high-profile work for clients around the world as well as art for all of Underworld's releases. Hyde, along with former Freur keyboardist John Warwicker, has also published two typographic journals, Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (1994) and In The Belly Of Saint Paul (2003).
Their first full-length, dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1994 to rave reviews and is still considered a landmark. It spawned several hit singles (Dark & Long, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic) and was followed a couple years later by the Born Slippy single.
The sophomore album Second Toughest in the Infants was released in 1996. This album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno, house, drum and bass and pop music to spectacular effect. The first track Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love (three parts) is one of the longest songs recorded by Underworld, with a length of over 16 minutes.
In the same year they issued an EP Pearl's Girl, containing various mixes of the song Pearl's Girl and five new tracks (one of them is Cherry Pie, an early version of Rowla). Underworld's much-praised remixography also grew, including Björk, Saint Etienne, Simply Red, Massive Attack and Leftfield.
After licensing out a remix of Born Slippy (entitled Born Slippy .NUXX) for the 1996 cult classic film Trainspotting, Underworld gained instant worldwide fame and found themselves touring the world. Their fame continued to run high into the release of Beaucoup Fish in 1999. Five singles were released: Moaner, Push Upstairs, Jumbo, King of Snake, and Bruce Lee.
Underworld issued a live set and a DVD named Everything, Everything in 2000, after which Emerson left the group to concentrate more on his DJ career. The mellower album A Hundred Days Off followed in 2002. It was promoted by two singles: Two Months Off and Dinosaur Adventure 3D.
In 2003 Underworld released a 2 CD compilation entitled 1992-2002, comprising some of their best songs. Also since 2003 the group has been trickling out new music on their official website www.underworldlive.com via a series of downloadable mp3s dubbed "The Riverrun Project". Each mp3 bundle features 25-or-so-minute of mixed new material, hundreds of photographs and traditional album art.
In 2005 the band issued another live album, Live in Tokyo 25th November 2005, a recording of Underworld's live performance at the Electraglide festival in Tokyo on 25 November 2005. There were apparently only 7000 copies of the album made.
Oblivion with Bells, their fifth studio album was released in October 2007, the first with additional collaboration with Darren Price who joined the band's live setup in 2005. It spawned four singles: Crocodile, Boy, Boy, Boy, Beautiful Burnout, and Ring Road.
On 13 May 2010, Underworld released a new single Scribble (Radio Edit), available for free download on their official site. This single was followed by a new album later that year, called Barking, which is still in the process of releasing singles, beginning with the aforementioned Scribble, Always Loved a Film and finally Diamond Jigsaw. Also released on a beatport remix contest was Bird 1 where amateur producers were able to put their take on Underworld's collaboration with Dubfire. As of 2011, the duo can also attach to their resumes soundtracking a live stage play. Frankenstein, produced and directed by Danny Boyle, starring both Johnny Lee Miller & Benedict Cumberbatch who are, on alternating nights, both Frankenstein, or the Creature. The Soundtrack is available through Underworld's Website.
January 2016 saw the release of I Exhale, in advance of Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, released in March 2016.
In April 2018, Underworld released a standalone single, Brilliant Yes That Would Be, an ambient piece with its accompanying video inspired by the Icelandic landscape and their first performance in Reykjavík since 1994.
In May 2018, Underworld unveiled the World of Underworld project, which focuses on reflecting and re-imagining their nearly 30 year body of work. It also serves as an outlet for experimentation, new releases and spontaneous creativity. Brilliant Yes That Would Be was the first track to be released through the World of Underworld, which was recorded and mixed just days before it was released.
Later in that same month, Underworld debuted a new collaboration with Iggy Pop titled Bells & Circles, live at the BBC Biggest Weekend 2018. Shortly after, a four-track collaborative EP with the two artists was released, Teatime Dub Encounters.
On November 1st, 2018, Underworld announced the Drift project, an ongoing music-and-video experiment that publishes new Underworld material on their official website every week. The first instalment began with Another Silent Way, also released on the same day.
On November 1st, 2019, Underworld released Drift Series 1, their tenth studio album. It is the conclusion of the first year of the band's year-long music-and-video experiment Drift. Underworld announced the Drift project will continue on for another year. The now-renamed Drift Series 1, was released exactly one year after the launch of the series, as a box set featuring 7 CDs, a Blu-ray, and an 80-page book documenting the creative process around Drift. A single-disc Drift Series 1 Sampler Edition was also released simultaneously.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Underworld Lyrics
- Cowgirl everything (x20) I'm invisible (x8) am, an eraser of l…
01 Change The Weather Look at these eyes admit that you're killing me but…
07 sola sistim My eyes burn naked, My black cold numbers, My insecurities…
2 Months Off There was a little drawing of a heart next to…
8 Ball Today Today I saw a man Today I saw a man Using an empty wh…
8Ball Today Today I saw a man Today I saw a man Using an em…
Air Towel [Repeat: x4] Should I want it? Should I want? Bunny girl, h…
Always Loved a Film The rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm The rhythm, t…
Banstyle / Sappy's Curry If they don't know And they don't know They're gonna find ou…
Banstyle / Sappys Curry If they don't know And they don't know They're gonna find …
Banstyle Sappys Curry If they don't know And they don't know They're gonna find ou…
Banstyle/Sappys Curry If they don't know And they don't know They're gonna find …
Barrel Of A Gun Do you mean this horny creep Set upon weary feet Who looks…
Beach Some are winners some are losers and some are fighters…
Beautiful Burnout Blood on a Tissue on a Floor on a Train Sun…
Beautiful Burnout (Mark Knight Remix) Blood on a tissue on the floor of the train Sun…
Between Stars I drive too fast Under a full moon Save the best to…
Bigmouth Everything I'm invisible An eraser of love Why dont you call…
Bird 1 Bat bit and ten (?) White stick with a red light Floats…
Born Slippery Drive boy dive boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy…
Born Slippy Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy In the doorway…
Born Slippy (Darren Price mix) Drive boy dive boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy S…
Born Slippy (Nuxx) / Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now Drive boy dog boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy Sh…
Born Slippy (Rick's 2003 edit) Drive boy dive boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy S…
Born Slippy .NUXX Drive boy dog boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy Sh…
Born Slippy .NUXX (short) Drive boy dive boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy S…
Born Slippy .TELEMATIC Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy In the doorway…
Born Slippy Nuxx (Atomic Hooli Drive boy dog boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy …
Born Slippy Nuxx 2003 Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy In the doorway…
Born Slippy Nuxx 2003 (Paul Oakenfold 12" mix) Drive boy dive boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy S…
Born Slippy-Nuxx Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy In the doorway…
Born Slippy.NUXX Drive boy dog boy Dirty numb angel boy In the doorway boy …
Boy Boy boy boy boy Wraps his arm around a skinny thing Naked…
Bright White Flame Come with me To the bright white flame That you knew by…
Bruce Lee (bullet got the wrong bloke) Life kid suck Drink from the b…
Bruce Lee Short (bullet got the wrong bloke) Life kid suck Drink from th…
Call Me No. 1 I used to love you I fought for your selection To be…
Change The Weather Look at these eyes admit that you're killing me but…
Confusion The Waitress She said you can do anything you want She said you…
Cowgirl Everything, everything, everything, everything, everything E…
Cowgirl (Bedrock mix) Everythin', everythin' Everythin', everythin' Everythin', ev…
Cowgirl - everything (x20) I'm invisible (x8) am, an eraser of l…
Creep (Creep) oh ah, oh ah, oh ah yeah (Creep) oh ah,…
Crocodile Is that you? Is that Is that really you? To call between my…
Cuddle Bunny vs The Celtic Villages Oblivion with Bells Cuddle Bunny vs The Celtic Villages Five…
Cups Bubble girl you feel like a movie Bubble blow a bit…
Cups (Live) Bubble girl you feel like a movie An' bubble blow bit…
Cups (Salt City Orchestra Vertical Bacon Vocal Mix) Bubble girl you feel like a movie Bubble blow bleed faster…
Dark Long Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead, long Kiss you, kiss you d…
Dark & Long (Dark Train) Thunder thunder lightning ahead...long Kiss you kiss you dar…
Dark & Long Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead, long Kiss you, kiss you d…
Dark Train Thunder thunder lightning ahead...long Kiss you kiss you da…
denver luna The strawberry jam girl Sleeping girl, kiss the animal Tele…
Diamond Jigsaw And does it hurt That you finally found yourself And does it…
Dinosaur Adventure 3D What you waiting for, gazing What you waiting, what you watc…
Dirty Sweet in winter sweet in rain Shake well before use…
Eight Ball Today Today I saw a man Today I saw a man Using an empty wh…
Faxed Invitation I don't wanna get dirty With two scoops And white flakes and…
Fever Everybody run when the main man come he ain't no…
Glam Bucket Blood on a tissue on a floor of a train Sun…
Glory Glory Hey when that look is in your eyes I can see…
Good Morning Cockerel My skin bursts out of my jeans Hallelujah Black barbed w…
Grace Light up the darkness I'm violently in love The waitress s…
Hamburg Hotel Even bread is greater Without you [?]…
Hip-Hop It's bigger than hip hop It's bigger than hip hop…
Holding the Moth With a glass eye on you With a glass eye on…
I Need a Doctor In the morning Radio jingles Drive me mental Turning my bloo…
JAL to Tokyo Refugee Rain One hand Come down between us I explained How g…
Juanita Your rails Your thin Your thin paper wings Your thin paper w…
Juanita / Kiteless your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin pa…
Juanita / Kiteless / To Dream Of Love your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin p…
Juanita Kiteless To Dream of Love your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin pa…
Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin p…
Juanita:Kiteless your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin pa…
Juanita:Kiteless (Live) Your rails. You're thin. Your thin paper wings. Your thin pa…
Jumbo (brother there's a little sale) (on, er, on a vest) (at ha,…
Jumbo (Francois K & Rob Rives remix) Brother there's a little sale on, uh, vests at, uh,…
King of Snake King of snake [Repeat: x4] Snake [Repeat: x4] Twenty four …
King of Snake Mix) King of snake [Repeat: x4] Snake [Repeat: x4] Twenty f…
King of Snake (Ashley Beedle's Save Our Discos re-edit) Aah aaah aah Kkkkkkking of snake King of snake Snake fightin…
Kiteless your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin pa…
Little Speaker Go Did you get these from round our's Go Very racy, he he…
Louisiana I feel asleep last night On a roundabout A cloud of wings F…
Loved A Film The rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm The rhythm, …
Lovely Broken Thing (JAL TO TOKYO) Refugee Rain One hand Come down between…
Luetin I will give you a very good time I will give…
M.E (anatano yume ni watashi wo tamoteru) Can you hold me in…
Mercy Monday morning hit me at a hundred miles an hour,…
Miracle Party Everybody comes to a party Expecting a miracle Everybody com…
MMM Skyscaper I Love You Mmm skyscraper I love you. mmm skyscraper I love you. Mmm…
Mmm... Skyscraper I Love You Mmm skyscraper I love you. mmm skyscraper I love you. Mmm…
Mo Move I dream, . that I'm . Chemical, . I become Chemical, . Ride…
Moaner Hey kiss me I kiss you Kiss me I kiss you I…
Moon in Water The phenomenon of moon-in-the-water is likened to human expe…
Mr. Universe Hey Mr. Euro Your E.E.C. come down to earth and…
Oich Oich The Beatles are dead. Andy Warhol's shit she said. Yeah.…
Original Song When I'm alone I try to remember all of the…
Parc I've seen the animal, the animal is waiting, under a…
Pearl' s Girl rioja rioja reverend al green deep blue morocco the water on…
Pearl's Girl (Live) Korea Korea (Rioja Rioja?) Reverend Al Green Deep blue Moroc…
Pearls Girl rioja rioja reverend al green deep blue morocco the water on…
Pizza for Eggs [ FOOD A READY ] [ BACK IN THE FEARS ] […
Pray Pray for me As you would a child In a land of…
Puppies That's you by my abyss it's beautiful today what ya…
Push Downstairs (it was coming out from Texas) (Texas) (Maryland) (maybe Mar…
Push Upstairs Tina lives in Berlin Her voice so seldom On my machine Is he…
Pushdownstairs (it was coming out from Texas) (Texas) (Maryland) (maybe …
pushh upstairs Tina lives in Berlin Her voice so seldom On my machine Is he…
Rez I'm invisible... And a razor of love... Why don't you call m…
Rez / Cowgirl Everything, everything Everything, everything I'm invisible…
Rez:Cowgirl (Live) Everythin', everythin' Everythin', everythin' Everythin', ev…
Ring Road I want you to be the way I want you…
River of Bass To touch to taste She flows like a river of bass…
Rubber Ball I'm a rubber ball (Victims of success We all are...) Black…
S T A R Each, peach, pear, plum I spy Tom Thumb Tom Thumb in the…
Scribble And it's ok, and it's ok And it's ok, and it's…
Show Some Emotion Wait you've gone too far Who for God's sake who for…
Shudder King Of Snake Kkking of snake King of snake Kkking of snake Kkking of snak…
Shudder + King Of Snake Kkking of snake King of snake Kkking of snake Kkking of s…
Shudder / King Of Snake Kkking of snake King of snake Kkking of snake Kkking of snak…
Shudder/ King Of Snake Kkking of snake King of snake Kkking of snake Kkking of s…
Skym Do you still feed the animal Animal finger Finger on the pho…
Sola Sistim My eyes burn naked, My black cold numbers, My insecurities…
SolaSistim My eyes burn naked, My black cold numbers, My insecuriti…
Sole Survivor There is a heart alive somewhere there is a heart…
Something Like A Mama Something like a mama the bull Something salty Something lik…
Spikee Gottomineteartow/gimme/ /gottotow/gimme/ninetow// //gottomin…
Spoonman World Tuesday Tuesday World Tuesday Tuesday World …
Stagger Orange Orange Orange In the mouth again Straighten We…
Stand Up What d'you see when you look at me? you got…
Surfboy Talk to me, talk to my machine Talk to me Talk to…
Texas I got a heart as big as Texas but it's…
The God Song Catch the beat out-o-on the street (Oh no-no!) Another visi…
The Hump Are you ready for a big drug are you ready for…
Thrash When you feel like it you just do it you…
Tin There rioja rioja reverend al green deep blue morocco the water…
To Dream Of Love your rails your thin your thin paper wings your thin pa…
Tongue Thank you for the time Like a razor kiss my…
Trim He-he-heat in your skin Pull up a chair and unwind Dog…
Two Months Off You bring light in You bring light in You bring light in You…
Two Months Off (DAVI Remix) There was a little drawing of a heart next to…
Underneath the Radar Unknown Unseen We live underneath the radar No sign - on scr…
Underneath The Radar (12" Rem (I am the doctor Please report to the dance floor) Unkno…
Underworld There was a little drawing of a heart next to…
Winjer Stay there I'm having a whinge A winjer Today Today I could …